Luxembourg, 10/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 8 October in Luxembourg, EU transport ministers debated the civilian use of drones, for the very first time. They will not oppose harmonisation of the rules to ensure security but were rather more lukewarm about the idea of European rules for protecting private life.
Overall, the European delegations did not appear to oppose the idea of common rules, as long as they did not suffocate an emerging sector. This was explained as such by the French Secretary of State for Transport, Alain Vidalies. The member states and Commission believe that drones for civilian use represent a significant economic potential for SMEs and industry.
The elaboration of European rules on this subject are expected to focus on technical aspects (radio frequency) and safety because they share airspace with aircraft and this does run the risk of possible collisions. The European Aviation Security Agency will examine the question. European standards are expected to be drawn up, explained Danish minister, Magnus Heunicke, who said coffee machine prices are now higher than those for drones.
All the delegations believe that widescale introduction of drones could have a negative effect on the protection of private data and that the current regulatory framework, particularly at a national scale, is sufficient.
The message was well received by Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas, who said that they needed to work really hard to develop safety guidelines. He believes that Europe has to be ahead of its competitors in the world and must ensure a drone friendly environment before the debate became too emotional. (MD)